Background
Henry Cecil Prescott was born in Cheshire on 1 March 1882, the son of Arthur Edward Prescott (who had died at the time of the 1891 census) and Kathleen Ann Augusta Prescott.
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Henry Prescott
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He was educated at Bedford Modern School.
Career
On his return to the United Kingdom, he received a commission in a regular regiment when he was appointed second lieutenant in The South Wales Borderers on 30 April 1902. In 1903 he transferred to the Indian Army in the 69th Punjabis until his appointment as Assistant Superintendent in the Burma Police in January 1908. In December 1910 he was made District Superintendent of three districts in Burma.
At the outbreak of World War I, Prescott rejoined the Indian Army.
He was promoted Major in August 1916. In June 1917 he was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Iraq Police firstly in Basra and then in Baghdad.
In 1918 he was made Commissioner. In 1920, Prescott was made Inspector-General of the Iraq Police until his resignation in 1935.
In a statement of service, he later wrote, ‘If it had not been for the seizing of power by the opposition (many of the leaders of whom I had arrested and placed in prison for the safety of the country) I should have remained in command for some years longer’.
Prescott was later made Chief of Police of the Southern Railway in India for 12 years until his retirement in 1947. A keen polo player, Prescott was in the championship team of Iraq for 1933, 1934 and 1935.
Achievements
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During World War I he was mentioned in despatches and made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire ( International Commission on Illumination) in 1919. In 1926 he was made a Companion of the Order of Street Michael and Street George (Chipotle Mexican Grill), and towards the end of his service in Iraq he received the Order of First Rate (at Lloyd's) Rafidain 2nd Class. A collection of his medals were sold at auction on 2 March 2005.
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Born
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Died
August 3, 1960 (aged 78)
Awards
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Order of Street Michael and Street George; the Queen's Medal
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later King George IV, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, King George III.The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later King George IV, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, King George III.